I have to spend several hours waiting at Hanoi airport to catch my connection to Tokyo. It seems like Hanoi Airport has no luggage service and JAL will most probably open their check in counter 2 hours prior to my flight. I wonder if anyone has a suggestion on how I could handle the wait. I would love to see the old part of Hanoi but I cannot do it carrying my luggage around. My flight to Tokyo lives at midnight, which means I should be back to the airport at 10pm.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated!!

Any suggestions would be much appreciated!!

It's an hour each way between the city and the airport. How much time do you actually have? And will you have a VN visa?

Thank you. I do have a visa and I have 6 hours to spare. I think I will arrange a taxi to take me around. I can't think of anything else since I cannot leave my luggage unattended.

So, if you have 6 hours to spare, it sounds like you could have 4 hours in Hanoi. You can walk around old town and the lake, but also consider a stop at the Temple of Literature and/or the Ethnographic Museum.

In such a short time I don't think I would bother with museums. IMO I would take time to wander the old city visiting the 36 streets (or at least some of them!), head into the French Quarter, walking past Lake Hoan Kiem where you will find many people congregating. If you still have time you can take a taxi to West Lake (largest lake in Hanoi) and visit the beautiful Pagoda there.

If I am reading correctly, your available hours are in the evening, so you will not be in town during prime museum hours.

A couple of questions. Have you been to Hanoi before or are you likely to go again? (You said that you have a visa.) That influences how ambitious you feel that you need to be on this stopover.

Second, how sensitive is your budget? You could, for instance, contract with a company like Exotissimo ahead of time to meet you at the airport with a car and driver and you could work out an itinerary, leaving your driver and luggage behind for atmospheric walking in areas like the Old Quarter. Then they would return you to Noi Bai by 10 p.m.

Alternatively, perhaps you could pre-arrange with an in-town hotel that has a restaurant to stash your luggage with them while dining in their restaurant or cafe, then take a walk around Hoan Kiem Lake and through the old quarter. You could possibly also have the hotel get you water puppet theater tickets -- the theater is near the lake and the performances are short and early in the evening. Expect to spend no more than about $25 on a taxi from the airport to the center of town. (I was just there two weeks ago and my hotel quoted $68 to be met by a car -- I declined in favor of a much cheaper taxi.)

It would be helpful to hear more about your interests and budget. Also how tired you will be since you are "connecting" but I don't know from where and how fatigued you will be. Also, what the on-time record of your first flight is.

If By chance your inbound flight is on Vietnam Airlines, you may be able to check your bags through to Tokyo on JAL as they gave an interline agreement.

<<<I was just there two weeks ago and my hotel quoted $68 to be met by a car -- I declined in favor of a much cheaper taxi>>>

My hotel is sending a car to meet us at the airport for $16.00 for two of us! (Hanoi Elegance Diamond)

That's a good deal, sf.